Little Leboho Koketso Mokoena (5) died tragically before the New Year

Most families look forward to the new year, with new hopes and looking forward in celebrating the new year, but it was not the case with the Mokoena family of Hlalanikahle.

The family had planned to spend the new year together at their home but tragedy strikes when little Leboho Koketso Mokoena (5) was allegedly electrocuted by electricity wires at home on Saturday, December 29.

The family was not being part of the celebrations to usher the new year.

Koketso’s father, Jeremiah Mokena said he was watching television while Koketso was playing outside with the other children at about 17:30.

Suddenly he went outside and found Koketso laying on the ground and he picked her up and called her name and she did not respond.

He then took her inside the house and called her name again but still there was no response.

He tried to check whether she was breathing but she was not as well.

He then called the neighbours and they confirmed that she was dead.

The police were then called and also certified her dead on the scene.

Some of these connections are dangerously connected and have resulted in fatalities.

In some parts of KwaGuqa Extension, illegal cable connections run across streets in Hlalanikahle and are posing a danger, especially to young children.

In some parts of the same area in Hlalanikahle the cables can be seen in the middle of the road and on the side of the road water running down a road where little children are using the road, unaware of the danger they are putting themselves in.

Residents said they have been in the waiting erea (‘waghuis’) for a long time while other areas have been developed and their area has been left out. They said they are prepared to pay for electricity if their area can been developed and be connected like the other areas.

This is not the first incident of this kind in Hlalanikahle; other incidents of this nature were reported in the past.

A teenage mother died with a baby on her back when she accidentally stepped on illegal connections in Hlalanikahle and they were both electrocuted.

While the local municipality owes Eskom millions of rands in electricity and one of the factors causing this, was the illegal utilisation of electricity by various categories of consumers, including illegal connections in informal settlements to theft of electricity by customers and businesses who bypass electricity meters.

Koketso was said to be a very friendly child who also loved children; she used to attend Lesedi Pre-School.

The family like any other family was looking to a bright future for their last born child in a family of two children. She was laid to rest at Kromdraai Cemetery on Saturday, January 5.

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